More than words: Why you need a content management strategy

5 steps to help you do more with your vision, ideas and documents using PR

In your business, you produce tons of content. News releases, articles, newsletters, photos, speeches, reports and financial statements are necessary to tell your story and generate leads. Now, what do you do with it all?

If you are a smart business (and we know you are), you develop a plan to manage all that content, quickly get it in the hands of key stakeholders and use it for maximum advantage. The content is just the first step; you need a strategy to guide its creation and use. This is easier said than done, which is why you need help from public relations.

What a content management strategy can do for your business

Your content allows you to demonstrate your expertise about your industry and the issues your customers care about. This helps you build trust, which leads to customer loyalty and super fans. Still, you can’t just throw all the information in a pile and call it valuable. Try repurposing speeches as blog articles and make media pitches social media posts – just don’t do it haphazardly. Have a plan to distribute all that knowledge in an organized, unobtrusive way for the biggest impact.

The right content increases your visibility and reach. When you release content on the appropriate platforms at the right time, it allows you to keep your brand in the front of customers’ minds. This content shouldn’t be just a long advertisement for your company; it must be useful, problem-solving material that improves lives and resonates with your buyer personas. Then, when it comes time to make a purchase, it’s likely people will think of you first.

Without content, you are practically invisible online. With consistently updated, valuable content, you’re more attractive to the Google bots that scan websites, moving you to the top of keyword searches. This means that customers can easily find you and immediately know that your brand has what they are looking for.

How to create a content management strategy

Outline your vision.

Decide whom you are writing for, what they want to see and how your company can connect the dots. Determine where your expertise lies and how best to share it. This could be blogs, how-to videos and a strong social media presence.

Establish a team.

Content comes from everywhere in your organization, so make sure all divisions have a place at the table. Have sales, finance, engineering and IT generate content in addition to your marketing team. You’ll also need writers, photographers, editors and producers. Everyone should be on the same page, know what content your company is producing and use it wisely.

Set your expectations.

It’s fine to say that you want to pitch media each week, write ten blog articles a day and post to social media constantly, just remember this may not be realistic. Figure out your goals, what resources you have and how much you can reasonably do to meet them.

Create a content calendar.

This will help you get a handle on what you’re actually publishing. You can control what content people are generating and how often. Your calendar can also act as a tool to deposit topic ideas and determine your tone.

Hire a PR agency to help you.

Don’t waste time and business opportunities with pointless posts. Let Axia Public Relations help to ensure you build your content around your overall strategic goals and that it enhances your brand. To find out more, contact us today or download our e-book Maximizing Your Public Relations Investment.

Lisa Goldsberry is a senior blogger for Axia Public Relations with more than 15 years of public relations experience. She specializes in business and technology PR. Lisa has worked for Axia since December 2013. Learn more about Lisa Goldsberry. Connect with Axia on Twitter @axiapr or tell us what you think in the comments below.